Used some of my family day to fix the flat bar. I took the crank off, gave it a clean, cleaned the chain. Gave the cassette a wipe. Before I put the crank back on I checked the BB bearings. The drive side one was terrible. It came off and the spare went on. Unfortunately, I did the bolts before the end cap. I had about 3mm of play on the shaft. I couldn't go into the big ring. Even worse was I didn't discover this til about 3kms into the ride this morning. So what do I do? keep riding. did 58kms. All in the bloody small crank.

Got to work and then mates to the rescue. Had a mate still at home. He came past with the hollowtech II tool. all fixed.

Had a bit of a moment last night, I was stationary waiting to continue through a median turning bay and bam, straight across the front of me (I had left approx 1 bike length between myself and the rest of the traffic), as I was stopped and saw her coming, I decided the best thing to do was to stay still, but still, she was still half in the road and half in the median turning bay. You can see the reflection of my commuting light in the door, but zippo and she was gone. The camera is mounted on my handlebars so she was very, very close to my front wheel.

Small woorld - I came up behind someone pushing their bike, rear flat tyre.

"I've got patches. Do you want a hand mate?"

He turns around . "It's me, Chris" he says. Old squash club mate from twenty five years ago.

Yesterday - I noticed another spent tube left by some cyclist. It was on the grass of the Mt Pleasnt park just by the Mt Henry Bridge. Apparently someone is too important to walk ten metres and drop it in the bin there.

I reckon I chance upon something similar every week. And we wonder why we sometimes get characterised poorly by others.

I did the usual run from Guildford West to Auburn in Sydney this morning. Belting down with rain but not much wind out here at 6 a.m. Underneath the M4 flyover at Harris Park/Granville was quite spectacular with most of the cycleway dry but rain pouring in torrents through the drains of the roadway above. The R.T.A could do with fixing a few leaks though.

Coming home was less wet but windy and noticeably colder, i preferred the morning run.

I've got my commuter on the work stand for a clean and re-lube. I suspect that it's a pointless exercise as it will be dirty after a few kilometers tomorrow and the lube will be all washed-off. Oh well, it'll give me something to do .

It would not be at all strange if history came to the conclusion that the perfection of the bicycle was the greatest achievement of the nineteenth century.

Hamster wrote:I've got my commuter on the work stand for a clean and re-lube. I suspect that it's a pointless exercise as it will be dirty after a few kilometers tomorrow and the lube will be all washed-off. Oh well, it'll give me something to do .

come and service my commute wheels when you're done. I'll throw you a beer to make you feel better about it

Customary stop at my brother's place on Friday afternoon. Continued on home via Macorna St towards the footbridge over the Ring Road.At the traffic circle just before the bridge I came across the aftermath of a car vs bike incident. The cyclist looked ok and was giving a statement to police - didn't see the bike.Bystanders I talked to thought the rider was coming from the bridge heading downhill through the circle at speed and was collected by the car.Some of bystanders also trotted out the the following lame assessments:- It's soooo hard to see you cyclists (sure it is if you don't look..)- The cyclist was going fast (clearly only cars may go fast...)- You need to wear bright clothing (I was wearing a glaringly blue Ground Effect top)- The sun could have been a factor (yep, the sun was low, but that's no excuse)

I offered my opinions on those statements, specifically about drivers not looking or slowing for traffic circles, and my point was prompty supported by another car flying into the circle despite two ambulances standing in the middle of it. Kinda got the bystanders attention, but didn't seem to influence their opinion. So I decided to abandon reasoning with the locals and took off before they decided to break out the torches and pitchforks. Hope the cyclist is ok and gets the damages sorted.

Good ride in this morning, despite the weekend's excesses.

Edit: spelling

Last edited by TailWind on Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

wet roads commute, againHad one numpty overtaking a runner behind brisbane boys/girls colleges coming towards me on a blind corner. All I had time to yell what feces rest of story in dumb cyclists thread.

Headed out this morning and found I had a little extra time for an extended commute. Took the option of reverse River Loop from about the Tennis centre. Brief heavy shower just around Indro, then sheared a nipple off the rear wheel coming up the short sharp climb next to St Lucia GC. Took about 10 minutes to get going again. 4th spoke/nipple since Chrsitmas. Getting real tired of breaking stuff.

Rode my age yesterday - Mandurah-Dawesville the long way (coastal via Healls Head) with a fair bit of detours here and there. And then return the same. All up around 65km (plus some more at the end). An all day trip with lots of sunscreen.

Ride was from the Mandurah Train Station to Dawesville and a little further. Return the same way and train back to Winthrop.

The coastal paths have a few very steep spots for a unicycle but, being evenly sloped bitumen they are far nicer and solid than the modest daily ramp at the southern end of the Narrows. By unicycling standards there are some decent hills by the coastal strip around the water treatment plant - at the gradient where I can *just* manage it.

And not an unplanned dismount at any stage over more than 60kms of varying terrain. Pretty pleasing.

I have done some of that strip before and, for me, it is a nice change from my usual weekender to Perth. I plan on doing it a lot more in future.

Last edited by ColinOldnCranky on Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:10 pm, edited 3 times in total.

I got a river loop in, but decided to bus it in after that as I was soaking wet. Only saw two other cyclists on the loop and one of them was changing a flat near UQ (yes, I offered to help!). Got rained on a couple of times, but glad I went out and did something. I didn't ride on the weekend due to kids' commitments and then rain on Sunday morning.

Was a bit later than usual this morning (Mondays - ugh!) and I missed a few key traffic lights. But I had a quick lovely chat (while waiting for lights to turn) to a lady with a horn on her handlebars in the shape of a turtle (about 5-6cms high, not a small thing at all). It was very cute and she said it was decoration on her bike- pity the horn in the turtle didn't work, but she had a useable bell on the other handlebar. I thought it looked wonderfully cute. She in turn liked my fluoro pink horn on my commuting bag.

No bicycle racks left when I got to work, but that's to be expected considering this week is meant to be tops of 30s and no rain whatsoever.

Comedian wrote:Only downside was not one bike rider offered assistance or even checked on me. Little disappointing. I...

I find it all depends on how helpless you look. If it looks like serious trouble or you're completely out of your depth I would think assistance would be offered.

I think you're quite right there to a point. I didn't really need help. Maybe I radiated that.

Hamster wrote:

Comedian wrote:Ok... Not one of my best commutes. ... I can feel the slow commuter tyres might get a go...

If you're running 700 X 23c you might like to take a look at the Tannus puncture proof tyre.

I've only got myself to blame. I put castoff road bike tyres on my commuter to use them up - and clearly ultremo zx just aren't up to the weight of the commuter. I rarely have troubles with them on the roadbikes though.

I've got a couple of sets of larger puncture proof tyres at home. Ill put one of those sets on come the weekend.

I like the sound of a turtle horn I must be getting to know the community on my ride now - the guy with a turban that I always see either walking in the other direction or sitting in the park meditating said hello to me this morning. There is a tree hanging completely over one side of the bike path on a blind corner, and another spot where the trees are so low they drag on your helmet, I am going to look for that website I've seen recommended on here where you can report it to council.

Waiting to turn right at a T Junction, car to my right waiting to do the same, car to my left waiting to turn left. There a triangle shaped space which I have claimed my own.The traffic is pretty congested at this spot and always will be due to a roundabout to the right about 30metres away, wait times are usually over 3-4mins.Then I hear sirens, no worries, I look behind me and see a commodore being pursued by a police car heading straight for me at high speed, I shuffle towards the car to my right.As they approach, I wonder if I need to get out of the way, just as this thought processes the car turning left picks a gap and there is suddenly room to my left for the commodore to squeeze through.He indicates right and flies around the corner into the congested intersection cutting off multiple cars, the police car follows.Everyone watches as the commodore swerves onto the wrong side of the road and mounts the roundabout and the chase continues along as far as I can see.Everyone kinda realises that nothing else is going on and resumes the traffic flow...

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